2016 S&V Newsletter No 10, March 14

S&V Footwear and Leather Goods / S&V African Leather

NFLC board to meet

Vandebijlpark (SA) – The new board of the National Footwear & Leather Cluster (NFLC) is to meet tomorrow (Wednesday). We hope to carry a report on the outcome of this meeting next Monday.

Podiatry Association backs ban on import, sale of worn shoes

Durban (SA) – Dear Sirs and all governmental parties,
With reference to the item in S&V Newsletter No 09 March 7 2016, the Podiatry Association of South Africa’s Footwear Committee strongly opposes the practice of giving worn and used footwear to second parties on the basis of the substantial health risks that this poses to the recipients.
While the gesture of giving worn shoes has good intentions, unlike the relatively safe practice of handing on second-hand clothing, used and worn shoes can harm the recipient in a number of ways:
1. The footwear may carry bacteria, viral and fungal elements that can infect the recipients.
2. Adequate (extensive) sterilization of such footwear is not cost effective against the cost of new footwear.
3. Footwear made in South Africa is a more appropriate fit for our population, as many companies make use of local anthropometric research.
4. Footwear that has been worn by someone else has the potential to distort the foot of the second wearer, according to whatever biomechanical imbalance, however slight, that the first wearer possessed.
5. Footwear that is worn, eg., at the heel, will create a biomechanical imbalance in the new wearer’s foot.
6. Biomechanical imbalances in the foot are linked to pathologies such as flat foot, bunions, shin splints, corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, and many others.
PASA’s Footwear Committee believes that, for health reasons, the DTI should ban the importation of used and worn footwear. – Mrs. Anette Thompson, Podiatry Association of South Africa, Footwear Programme Administration [+27 (0)31 201 9907, anette.thompson@telmo.co.za]

Intobrands: ‘We must work with retailers to get through this period’

Cape Town (SA) – Ecommerce offers brand holders higher margins, the ability to showcase wider ranges, greater control and a long reach, but Intobrands MD Paul Hancock wants to limit the online sales with his principal brands, FitFlop and Hunter.
It was a relief that sales of Fitflop to retailers were 10% above budget from July to December, which consequently left little stock for Ecommerce. Hunter is likewise nearly sold out for the current winter season with limited stock reserved for online.
His main reason for pushing consumers to visit FitFlop stockists is to support the retailers who provide a full sit and fit service to customers. Intobrands has been using its website and social media to run a campaign to educate consumers where the stores are and to encourage them to visit a store to try on a pair.
“We have to offer online for a number of reasons,” he said, “but I’d rather consumers go to the stores to fit a pair in store rather than purchasing online which the company ensures maintains the same RRP as the retail stores.” Right now, online orders are down compared to last year, but he’s “still not really tempted to increase the online business”.
“We need retail business to grow, and we need to work with retailers to get through this period. We can’t afford for them to fail.
“Once we’ve placed our orders with the factory for the 2016/2107 period, we’ll go back to the retailers to see how we can boost their sales.”
Intobrands is however looking to increase online sales of its third brand, Bedroom Athletics slippers, to supplement its retail distribution through Cape Union Mart and a number of independents.
“Bedroom Athletics is more of an impulse purchase and online is a good way to build brand recognition and growth with the younger consumer who is more comfortable with online purchases,” he said. – [+27 (021) 510 7608, paul@intobrands.co.za, www.fitflop.co.za]

GDS drops Friday as a show day

Düsseldorf (Germany) – From Summer 2016 GDS and tag it! will, for the first time, run from Tuesday to Thursday, according to a release.
“The new dates were adopted at the explicit request of retailers ... the new sequence of days avoids the Friday as one of the strongest selling days for retail. So retailers can capitalise on the trade shows as best as possible and do not have to decide between a visit to the trade show and selling at their store,” said Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, president & CEO at Messe Düsseldorf. – [www.gds-online, www.tag-it-show.com]

ABSA Agri Trends 01/03: Hides & skins prices

The average hide price traded higher over the past week at R14.20/kg green. Hide prices are determined by the average of RMAA and independent companies.
The average price for Dorper skins traded lower at R67.50/skin and Merino lower at R93.29/skin.
The average price for ostrich skins dropped 0.53% to R1550.67.
Ostrich raw meat exports dropped 1.38% to R42.29/kg. Heat treated meat dropped 0.23% to R32.06, and domestic meat sales stayed the same at R11.61.

Exodus moves

Cape Town (SA) – Exodus Footwear, owner of the Madison women’s fashion brand, has moved into bigger premises in the same complex, and has taken on an additional staff member in accounts.

They Said It

"What we think is a fair price to sell for, what the retailer thinks is a fair price to pay, and what the consumer thinks is a fair price to spend are three completely different things." - Allied Agencies’ Dionne Prinsloo, on trading conditions.

"Summer, for the first time in a long time, is an unknown." - Prinsloo again. His forecast? A lot more jellies, in a lot more ways.

Birthdays this week

14/03/1958: Berno Dumas, Watson Shoes, Great Brak River.
14/03/1966: Silvan Pillay, Shoe Biz, Pretoria.
15/03/1974: Tim Pittaway, Ostrich Emporium, Port Elizabeth.
15/03/1972: Vanyo Mangaliso, Sun Goddess, Johannesburg.
15/03/1965: Neil Solomons, Jordan Shoes, Cape Town.
16/03/1965: Rod Bloom, Barksole Quality Services, Cape Town.
16/03/1961: Doc Motala, Crown Footwear, Pinetown.
16/03/1979: Matthew Boltman, Noo Shoes, Pretoria.
18/03/1948: Stan Rabinowitz, Footwear Direct, Johannesburg.
19/03/1949: Barrie Walsh, Eddels Shoes, Pietermaritzburg.
19/03/1959: Deon van Rensburg, Wayne Plastics, Krugersdorp.
19/03/1972: Morné Pienaar, Memories, Bloemfontein.
19/03/1972: Faieza Akoon, Urban Legends, Bloemfontein.

In Memoriam this week

14/03/1988: John Begg, BU Shoe Machinery, Port Elizabeth.
17/03/1995: Kees Pulles, Futura Footwear, Loskop.
16/03/2008: Tilly Amery, FISA, Durban.

Classified Adverts

Dolce Vita seeks Western Cape rep